"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
My girlfriend, my dumb donut
Went up to a party just the other night
But three hours later and seven shots of Yager
She was in the bedroom with another guy
And I don't really wanna know
So don't tell me anymore
And I don't really wanna hear
About her feet all up in the air
And well I'm not the one who acted like a ho
Why must I be the one who has to know?
I'm not the one who messed up big time
So spare me the details if you don't mind
Now I can understand friends who wanna tell me
They think they're gonna help me open up my eyes
But the play by play makes me wanna lose it
Everytime you do it, man, it turns the knife
And I don't really wanna know
So don't tell me anymore
And I don't really wanna hear
About her feet all up in the air
And well I'm not the one who acted like a ho
Why must I be the one who has to know?
I'm not the one who messed up big time
So spare me the details if you don't mind
Now I don't need to hear about the sounds they were makin'
And I don't need to hear about how long it was takin'
Or how the walls they were shakin'
Now lying in bed wallowing in sorrow
Missin' the tomorrow that we could of had
Running through my head, over and over
Things I never told her now just made me sad
And it drives me insane sittin with a vision
stuck with that image burned into my brain
And it feels so dumb that I could ever trust her
When someone else fucked her, then walked away
And I don't really wanna know
So don't tell me anymore
And I don't really wanna hear
About her feet all up in the air
And so I'm not the one who acted like a ho
Why must I be the one who has to know?
I'm not the one who messed up big time
So spare me the details if you don't mind
Cuz I don't wanna know
Don't wanna know
(Spare me the details if you don't mind)
Don't wanna know
(Spare me the details if you don't mind)
Don't wanna know...
Went up to a party just the other night
But three hours later and seven shots of Yager
She was in the bedroom with another guy
And I don't really wanna know
So don't tell me anymore
And I don't really wanna hear
About her feet all up in the air
And well I'm not the one who acted like a ho
Why must I be the one who has to know?
I'm not the one who messed up big time
So spare me the details if you don't mind
Now I can understand friends who wanna tell me
They think they're gonna help me open up my eyes
But the play by play makes me wanna lose it
Everytime you do it, man, it turns the knife
And I don't really wanna know
So don't tell me anymore
And I don't really wanna hear
About her feet all up in the air
And well I'm not the one who acted like a ho
Why must I be the one who has to know?
I'm not the one who messed up big time
So spare me the details if you don't mind
Now I don't need to hear about the sounds they were makin'
And I don't need to hear about how long it was takin'
Or how the walls they were shakin'
Now lying in bed wallowing in sorrow
Missin' the tomorrow that we could of had
Running through my head, over and over
Things I never told her now just made me sad
And it drives me insane sittin with a vision
stuck with that image burned into my brain
And it feels so dumb that I could ever trust her
When someone else fucked her, then walked away
And I don't really wanna know
So don't tell me anymore
And I don't really wanna hear
About her feet all up in the air
And so I'm not the one who acted like a ho
Why must I be the one who has to know?
I'm not the one who messed up big time
So spare me the details if you don't mind
Cuz I don't wanna know
Don't wanna know
(Spare me the details if you don't mind)
Don't wanna know
(Spare me the details if you don't mind)
Don't wanna know...
Lyrics submitted by Shmeeper
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
As someone who has endured a similar misfortune (right about the sime time this album came out, great timing really), I can definetly understand the feelings this song is describing. I love the crescendo from just talking in "Now lying in bed" to the screaming in "someone else fucked her then I walked away!" You can really feel the anger welling in that verse, and it feels so good to scream along with him, especially if you're going through the same thing. Favorite lyric: "The play by play makes me wanna lose it, every time you do it, man, it turns the knife"